Film, culture, history
The Royal Mail is kindly reminding us why the American Patriots signed the Declaration of Independence. It costs 76p to send a letter from the the mainland Britain Empire to America. And who is on a 76p stamp? None other than King George III.
King George III, of course, is remembered as the man who introduced the “stamp tax”, a kind of consumption tax (or sales tax, or VAT) that affected all printed matter. Continue reading “George III and the 76p Stamps”
While some see President Reagan as the man who won the cold war, others remember him as having changed the economy at home. Some might paint him as a kind of Scrooge, the character so well portrayed by Michael Caine (or, to keep in the Reagan Era, very un-Reagan-like actors Bill Murray or George C. Scott.)
But President Reagan wasn’t all about war and money. He was one of the most charming Presidents in the 20th century, far more charming than many actors are off the set. Continue reading “Well, who should play Ronald Reagan?”
Whatever happened in Iran Contra, that didn’t win the cold war.
The Berlin Wall didn’t come down until after Reagan left office, but most of us knew that the fall of communism was just a matter of time. By the end of Reagan’s presidency, Perestroika, Glasnost, and sympathetic soviet characters in children’s cartoons showed us that we no longer saw the Red Peril as a serious threat. Continue reading “Melting hearts to bring down a wall of ice”
Hong kong Nov. 6 “There was an extroardinary outburst of enthusiasm here today when a report came from Shanghai that the native city of Pekin [Beijing] had been captured by the Rebels.” The Washington Herald reports. “Rebel flags appeared everywhere.”
The rebels also captured Zhenjiang, apparently peacefully. “There was no disorder.” And in Shanghai, a section of Admiral’s fleet hoisted the rebel flag. Continue reading “Breaking News: Chinese Rebels capture Beijing – November 6, ’11”
On November 3, 1798 six men were beheaded in Cairo, on the orders of General Napoleon Bonaparte. They lost their heads only months after General Bonaparte landed “The Army of Egypt” to liberate the Egyptian people from the terror of the Mameluke Beys. Now, Napoleon was seen by many as the Mameluke.
So, what happened since June?